The Best Street Food

Where To Find The Best Street Food In Delhi

If you talk about food, you will find the craziest foodies in the capital of India. Delhi can be called the food capital of the country as you will find the best variety of all kind of cuisines in the city. Street food, particularly, stands favorite among the locals and outsiders who have lived in Delhi for years.

Street food is what keeps the folks of Delhi ticking, and if you plan to visit the capital, be ready to taste some really lip smacking street delicacies across nooks and corners of Delhi. While you could water your taste buds with juicy golgappas and bhalla papris in summers, the winters feel perfect with hot plates of alu tikki and steamed momos.

If you are new to the city or if you’re here to spend your vacation with friends, here is a mouthwatering list of street food delicacies that you must indulge yourself in while you are here. So, let’s begin!

Chandni Chowk

You ask about tempting yet delicious street food, and the first name you will hear from any local is Chandni Chowk. It is one of the oldest food hubs in Delhi that hosts the best of North Indian food.

The most sought after joints are the Paranthe Wale Gali that serves all kinds of veg parantha, Natraj Dahi Bhalle, Amritsari Lassi corner, and Ashok Chaat Bhandar that has the most crispy yummy aloo chaat and kalmi chaat.

Karim’s offer great non-veg dishes like mutton nihari and mutton paya. If you like alu tikkis and dahi bhalla, then Bitto Tikki Wala is a great option too. You’ll find it in Kamla Nagar and Pitampura market.

Majnu Ka Tila

You walk into the lanes of Majnu ka Tila and you enter Little Tibet. Only a rickshaw ride away from North Campus, Majnu Ka Tila or MKT, as popularly known, the narrow lanes are full of students intending to satisfy their appetite with authentic Tibetan food.  Hardly a costly affair, a meal for two doesn’t exceed Rs 500 in any of the restaurants.

Savour in less known delicacies like Shabaley, i.e. stuffed samosa, Thentuk, a warm and healthy cousin of thupka, and Shapta, a spicy beef dish best complimented with Tingmo, a kind of fermented bread. Other bestsellers are double fried pork momos, rice noodles, honey chilli chicken and apple beer.

MKT is a must visit for all who wish to taste the best of Tibetan and Chinese cuisine with traditional ladies serving hot delicious food. The winding alleys and the Tibetan market gives you the feel of mini Dharamshala in Delhi.

Dilli Haat

If you wish to take a culinary tour across India, then you have arrived at the right place. Dilli haat, or mini India, as you may call is run by Delhi Tourism and hosts the best of India’s traditional shopping market, cultural festivals and of course cuisines from all over India. It is a completely aesthetic experience for locals and foreigners alike as you get to feel the true Indian culture here.

Strictly talking about food, Dilli Haat will serve you the best of all states. Be it the fresh steamed momos from the Sikkim and Manipur Stalls, typical spicy Rajasthani dishes, sea food from Lakshadweep, fish curry from West Bengal, authentic Assamese thali , or Handi Biryani from Hyderabad, you name it, and you have it.

Dilli Haat is the perfect place to spend a memorable evening with your friends where you keep your hands busy tasting unique delicacies while enjoying live music and dance performances by famous artists.

Khan Chacha

Located in Khan Market in South Delhi, Khan Chacha is extremely popular among those who love to gorge on non-veg food. One of the oldest eateries in Delhi, it serves the best of kebabs, tikkas, rolls, rotis and much more.

Though the prices are on the higher end, you wouldn’t mind a bite once as there is absolutely no compromise on the quality of food served.

Highlight of this place are mutton seekh kebabs, paneer tikkas, hariyali kebab rolls, and rumali rotis. It is a place for people who appreciate the moderate food price and carry no-fuss attitude.

Often visited by localites and foreigners alike, Khan Market is full of life with restaurants and joints of different cuisines, you just have to be a little careful with your budget as it is not a typical street market.

Bengali Market

Having an up market feel, Bengali market is one such place where you have plenty options to choose from.  Located near Connaught place in Central Delhi, the two most prominent joints that will flash in front of your eyes are the Bengali Sweet House and Nathu Sweet House that have a variety of delectable sweets to offer.

North Indians typically savor their appetite on best sellers such as Raj Kachoris and famous Chole Bhature. You can discover awesome mouthwatering pastries, cakes and tarts on Nathu Sweet House. Nathu Sweet House presents pretty decent golgappas but with a higher price of Rs 45 per plate.

Other pocket friendly food joints in and around Connaught place include the Anand Daba and Kake Ka Dhaba which are famous for their non-veg Indian delicacies like Butter Chicken, Tandoori Chicken, Dahi Mutton and Biryani.

Nehru Place

One of the oldest markets in Delhi, Nehru Place is best known for its huge computer market in India. However, it has a number of street food joints that offer different snacks, fast foods, and Chinese.  But, the one place that I’d highly recommend for North Indian food buffs is the Standard Punjabi Khana that serves fresh heavy meal, ideal for lunch.

Indulge yourself in luscious hot plates of Rajma chawal, Paneer Chawal, Kadi Pakoda, and several other dishes at very reasonable rates. Though the market is too crowded, you can find the place easily by asking someone nearby.

Jama Masjid

Wondering where to fill your appetite during late nights? Jama Masjid is your rescue point. It has a range of exotic Mughlai and non-veg street food joints that serves the most royal Mughlai cuisine.

Once you enter Matia Mahal, the main side street, tempting aromas from every second shop invite you. You will find the best of Mutton Biryani, Chicken Changeezi, kebabs and beef cuisines here.

Ramadan fasters can happily break their fast here. If your sweet tooth complains after a heavy meal, treat yourself with delicacies like phirni served in earthen pots just for Rs.8. The must visit joints are Bade Miyan, Al-Jawahar, Mughal Darbar, Aslam Chicken and Chicken Mughlai to name a few.

As you can see, food buffs will never run out of options in Delhi. I may have missed out many more must visit food markets from the list, but have managed to reap the best for you. However, shawarma being my personal favorite ,lovers of the same can treat themselves alt Al-bake in New Friends Colony,  Saket in South Delhi as well as in Kamla Nagar.

Hope you enjoyed this blog. I will be glad to hear from you in case you have experienced any more lucrative food joints in Delhi.

Until then, as famous food author Ruth Reichl says “Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.”

If you liked this post, you may also read Where To Eat In Shimla.